We should be told?

[brightncheerful]

Following on from M&S decision to rename its Midget Gems sweets to avoid offending people …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59981811

… will owners of MG Midgets do something similar?

[Lootman]

Following on from M&S decision to rename its Midget Gems sweets to avoid offending people …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59981811

… will owners of MG Midgets do something similar?

"Dr Erin Pritchard, a lecturer in (grievance studies, sorry) disability studies at Liverpool Hope University, argued the word midget was a form of hate speech."

If "Professor" Erin really wants to hear what [I think] she should give me a call.

Moderator Message:
Unpleasant bit rephrased. - Chris

[SimonS]

Following on from M&S decision to rename its Midget Gems sweets to avoid offending people …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59981811

… will owners of MG Midgets do something similar?

"Dr Erin Pritchard, a lecturer in (grievance studies, sorry) disability studies at Liverpool Hope University, argued the word midget was a form of hate speech."

If "Professor" Erin really wants to hear what [I think] she should give me a call.

It's an annoying trend in the world generally but the Western World in particular to redefine particular words in light of a partial usage 'that may offend others. Some words are being 'banned' and can only be referred to as the "Capital-word" eg: the "N-word, the P-word, the H-word, the B-word and so on. Utterly meaningless unless you already know what the various words actual represent.

This delicacy of thought reached new heights recently when the French President stated that his new vaccine law was designed to 'emmerder' the unvaccinated. The commentator translated this as "pissing-off" but the subtitles referred to Kissing off, subsequently amended to "kissing off". Obviously we are so delicate that writing "pissing off'' endangers our well-being.

Other words being deprecated are vague homonyms like "niggardly" meaning small, and "denigration" (apparently a word referring to ethnic cleansing according to a plaintiff).
Ignorance is bliss, on one board a person described their occupation as "Herstorian" presumably under some sort of illusion that History had some reference to gender. (It does not, it comes from ancient Greek,'istoria, has neutral gender and simply means "tale"). Fanatics to a cause frequently make the cause itself ridiculous.

Meanwhile there is an earnest discussion about the"n-word" appearing in K-Pop. Until you realise NeGa is the informal variant of "you",in korean. Doesn't that level of self-obsession itself constitute a form of racism?

[TUK020]

It's an annoying trend in the world generally but the Western World in particular to redefine particular words in light of a partial usage 'that may offend others. Some words are being 'banned' and can only be referred to as the "Capital-word" eg: the "N-word, the P-word, the H-word, the B-word and so on. Utterly meaningless unless you already know what the various words actual represent.

This delicacy of thought reached new heights recently when the French President stated that his new vaccine law was designed to 'emmerder' the unvaccinated. The commentator translated this as "pissing-off" but the subtitles referred to Kissing off, subsequently amended to "kissing off". Obviously we are so delicate that writing "pissing off'' endangers our well-being.

Other words being deprecated are vague homonyms like "niggardly" meaning small, and "denigration" (apparently a word referring to ethnic cleansing according to a plaintiff).
Ignorance is bliss, on one board a person described their occupation as "Herstorian" presumably under some sort of illusion that History had some reference to gender. (It does not, it comes from ancient Greek,'istoria, has neutral gender and simply means "tale"). Fanatics to a cause frequently make the cause itself ridiculous.

Meanwhile there is an earnest discussion about the"n-word" appearing in K-Pop. Until you realise NeGa is the informal variant of "you",in korean. Doesn't that level of self-obsession itself constitute a form of racism?

At a recent show by David Baddiel, he was discussing his use of the "C" word, and whether he should be apologetic over using it. He decided not, on the grounds that in certain situations, it was the only appropriate word to reach for.
He then clicked up a picture on the overhead of Jacob Rees Mogg reclining on the front bench.
Howls of laughter from all around.

[Clitheroekid]

At a recent show by David Baddiel, he was discussing his use of the "C" word, and whether he should be apologetic over using it. He decided not, on the grounds that in certain situations, it was the only appropriate word to reach for.

He then clicked up a picture on the overhead of Jacob Rees Mogg reclining on the front bench. Howls of laughter from all around.

That reminds me of hearing Stephen Fry a few years ago on the always excellent I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.

They were playing a round called the Uxbridge English Dictionary, where they have to provide `daffynitions' of common words.

For example, parsnip was given as “Dad’s vasectomy” and wallaby as “someone aspiring to be a kangaroo”.

Then came Stephen Fry’s immortal uttering:

"Countryside - the unlawful killing of Piers Morgan”.

[Sussexlad]

Following on from M&S decision to rename its Midget Gems sweets to avoid offending people …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59981811

… will owners of MG Midgets do something similar?

Choosing to be offended has become the most powerful tool for change, rendering 'common' sense redundant and democracy irrelevant. It's why we used to teach 'Sticks and Stones.....' , 'Turn the other cheek...', all far too sensible for today's snowflakes.

[didds]

... all far too sensible for today's snowflakes.

here is 7.5 minutes of snowflakes. 7.5 non stop minutes of snowflakes straining, concentrating, professional, being brilliant, being perfect at everything they do.

Its taken over two decades for them to become snowflakes. Two decades plus of self denial, focus, sheer bloody hard work, injury, training, control, passion, dedication to become a snowflake.

oh. And not a little talent and skill to boot.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYaIQNjAX_8

didds

[vrdiver]

... all far too sensible for today's snowflakes.

here is 7.5 minutes of snowflakes.

Thank you for that link; excellent.

and there was I getting ready to be all offended by whatever it was that you'd linked to!

Just goes to show you can't generalise about snowflakes...

VRD

[stevensfo]

... all far too sensible for today's snowflakes.

here is 7.5 minutes of snowflakes. 7.5 non stop minutes of snowflakes straining, concentrating, professional, being brilliant, being perfect at everything they do.

Its taken over two decades for them to become snowflakes. Two decades plus of self denial, focus, sheer bloody hard work, injury, training, control, passion, dedication to become a snowflake.

oh. And not a little talent and skill to boot.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYaIQNjAX_8

didds

Thanks for that. Not only for the beautiful dancing, but the realisation after all these years that, what I'd assumed must be part of a BBC documentary about certain media luvvies and their struggles with weight loss, was in fact from the same ballet!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz_f9B4pPtg


Steve

PS My favourite version is the one with Lesley Collier and Anthony Dowell.

[Clitheroekid]

… will owners of MG Midgets do something similar?

Following the M&S example they should be renamed "MG Minis" - which doesn't sound quite right somehow ...

[bungeejumper]

News just in: Nigeria is to be referred to in future as Bameria. And the dwarf french beans in my garden will henceforth be known as legumes of vertically challenged stature.

BJ

[Rhyd6]

My friend who is 4ft 21/4 inches tall but nearer 6ft in grit, determination and an even bigger sense of humour would like 5 minutes alone with this Professor and I can guarantee that by the time she'd finished with her said Prof. would be about 3inches tall. As she explained to some one who was on the side of the Prof. "my dad always bought me a packet of midget gems every week. We'd go to the local shop and he'd ask for a packet of midget gems for my midget gem. The shopkeeper always gave them to me with a big smile and it always made me feel special. Even when I'd grown up he still bought me a packet of midget gems, I didn't feel insulted or hurt I felt loved".

R6

[swill453]

My friend who is 4ft 21/4 inches tall but nearer 6ft in grit, determination and an even bigger sense of humour would like 5 minutes alone with this Professor and I can guarantee that by the time she'd finished with her said Prof. would be about 3inches tall.

Might not take too long, given the said professor already suffers from achondroplasia...

Scott.

[jfgw]

My friend who is 4ft 21/4 inches tall but nearer 6ft in grit, determination and an even bigger sense of humour would like 5 minutes alone with this Professor and I can guarantee that by the time she'd finished with her said Prof. would be about 3inches tall. As she explained to some one who was on the side of the Prof. "my dad always bought me a packet of midget gems every week. We'd go to the local shop and he'd ask for a packet of midget gems for my midget gem. The shopkeeper always gave them to me with a big smile and it always made me feel special. Even when I'd grown up he still bought me a packet of midget gems, I didn't feel insulted or hurt I felt loved".

R6

Has she posted a polite but no-beating-about-the-bush message on M&S's social media pages telling them exactly what she thinks? I'm sure she could think of something to post on Dr Erin Pritchard's Twitter page, and likewise that of Liverpool Hope Snowflake Factory University.


Julian F. G. W.

[Rhyd6]

jfgw, I've passed on your message to her, she usually only posts on local facebook but in this case she may make an exception.

R6

[SimonS]

My friend who is 4ft 21/4 inches tall but nearer 6ft in grit, determination and an even bigger sense of humour

Scott.

Peter Dinklage ( Tyrion from Game of Thrones) has pronounced his horroe at Disney's planned live action remake of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves".

He is angry at the thought of the dwarves being represented as living in a cave, "this is the 22nd century, not some bacward period of history".
He wants them to be executive entrepreneurs challenging the evils of a modern society (Polonium in the apple?), not a fairy story.

Perhaps Game of Thrones was a dystopic representation of the fall of a great society, not a sword and sorcery romp of a septrology?

[servodude]

My friend who is 4ft 21/4 inches tall but nearer 6ft in grit, determination and an even bigger sense of humour

Scott.

Peter Dinklage ( Tyrion from Game of Thrones) has pronounced his horroe at Disney's planned live action remake of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves".

He is angry at the thought of the dwarves being represented as living in a cave, "this is the 22nd century, not some bacward period of history".
He wants them to be executive entrepreneurs challenging the evils of a modern society (Polonium in the apple?), not a fairy story.

Perhaps Game of Thrones was a dystopic representation of the fall of a great society, not a sword and sorcery romp of a septrology?

Sounds grumpy